A celestial convergence called the "Star of Bethlehem" began this week when Jupiter and Venus came withing a third of a degree of each other, creating what appears to be one bright "double star."
Sky & Telescope contributing editor Fred Schaaf told CBS News that the current convergence of Venus and Jupiter resembles a similar event that occurred between the years 3 and 2 B.C., which was likely called the Star of Bethlehem at the time.
"Swing your optics around the triangle for a
fast-paced heavenly show," wrote Tony Phillips, of NASA. "Venus and Jupiter will be a jaw-dropping one-third of a degree apart. That's less than the diameter of a full Moon. You'll be able to hide the pair not just behind the palm of your outstretched hand, but behind your little pinky finger."
CBS News wrote that the one-third view will only occur for North American sky-watchers.
"To the eye they'll look like a double star," Kelly Beatty, a senior editor at Sky & Telescope magazine, told CBS News. "Anyone who hasn't glanced at the evening sky for a while will be surprised by how dramatically tight the pairing is."
Sky & Telescope wrote that while Venus and Jupiter will appear the same size and in the same celestial neighborhood, in reality, not so much. Venus was 49 million miles away from Earth on June 30 while Jupiter was 564 million miles away from Earth.
The "Star of Bethlehem" brought a variety of responses on social media, with some applying their own special meaning to the sighting.
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